Ultimate California Wine Blog

Ridge is one of those names in the wine business that immediately evoke a response – usually one of awe. I have been fortunately to taste some very old Ridge wines and my regard is long-standing based on those older offerings of Cabernet and Zinfandel. Ridge single-handedly convinced me that quality-made Zinfandels can age, and age well, as I have tasted 20-year old Ridge Zinfandels that continue to show depth and structure.

Ridge is also unusual for another reason – for while there are many wineries that utilize multiple vineyards, very few build winery tasting rooms in separate counties; the two counties from which their grapes are gleaned. My visit to Ridge occurred at their Santa Cruz location and if you can at all handle twisty, windy roads, I highly recommend the jaunt.

The tasting room is austere and elegant with natural wood that reflects the beauty of the surroundings. The staff are knowledgeable and extremely friendly. They know their product and are readily able to answer the most arcane of questions.

2003 Chardonnay, Santa Cruz – Utilizing both American and French oak, no malo was utilized. Mineral tones produce a crisp entry which blossoms into apricot flavors. $30.00

2002 Geyserville – 84% Zinfandel, 12% Carignane, and 4% Petite Syrah. At 14.6% alcohol, port-like cherry fruit pervades with a bright, engaging entry. Teases at elegance with balanced oak and fruit. Punctuated dark fruit finishes. $30.00

2001 Lytton Estate Syrah/Grenache –  50/50 blend. Young and rather green with medicinal qualities on the nose and a touch of tar. Fruitier on the nose than in the mouth with a dry mid-palate. $28.00

2002 Santa Cruz Mountains – 50% Cabernet, 48% Merlot, and 2% Petite Verdot. Lovely, complex bouquet of cocoa, cherry, and spice. Same spicy entry that heightens with red fruit in the mid-palate and cedar on the back-palate. A slightly mineral finish. $33.00

1998 Pagani Ranch, Northern Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County – 88% Zinfandel, 9% Alicante Bouschet, and 3% Petite Sirah. Hedonistic, showing up front fruit of blackberry, boysenberry, and dark raspberry. Some hints of brett. Amazingly deep and textured with a bright entry that darkens and expands, falling off a bit on the end. $33.00

2002 Buchignani Carignane – Opulent black raspberry and strawberry aromas layered with complex cinnamon and clove spices. Deceiving mineral entry explodes to light, enticing fruit. Great, great fun. $24.00

2000 Lytton Springs Zinfandel – A bit spritzy upon pouring. Mostly mineral tones with some raspberry that blossoms on the finish. $33.00

Ridge ~ Monte Bello ~ 17100 Monte Bello Road ~ Cupertino ~ CA ~ 95014 ~ 408-867-3233
Ridge ~ Lytton Springs ~ 650 Lytton Springs Road ~ Healdsburg ~ CA ~ 95448 ~ 707-433-7721

I’m coming a little late to the game… Len of Lenndevours started started Wine Blog Wednesday where a bunch of wine bloggers get together and blog the same theme. If you are terribly interested, I’ll let you read Len’s site as I jump into my first foray…

LovelySicily is the host of this particular installment, choosing Sicilian wines as this month’s theme and having a California-centric cellar, I had a moment of panic — could I even FIND a Sicilian wine in Napa??? Well, when I got home last evening, I discovered Shawn was busy preparing a lovely roast chicken to finish out an open bottle of Capiaux Pinot. "I forgot I was going to stop and get a Sicilian wine!" I lamented… Shawn, remembering what’s in our cellar far better I do, pulled out a Morgante 2001 Nero D’Avola, Vendemmia that we bought several years ago.

Surprising me, it went with the herb-covered chicken, steamed asparagus, and Bhutanese red rice very nicely. Inky and almost black in color, it was like a beginner’s Syrah in jamminess. Interesting persimmon notes were prevalent in its fruitiness and the tannins and acids were easy, smooth, and extremely pleasant. A hint of spice on the end complemented to chicken more than I thought it would. Considering its dark color and complexity, I anticipated it fighting the food but it was quite lovely (especially at $11.99!). Good call, Ron – you’ve got a new convert!

Clos du Val is among those in Napa which has an amazing reputation and long-established reputation. In 1972, John Goelet and Bernard Portet, an American business and French winemaker respectively, joined forces in establishing one of the more famous wineries in the Napa Valley. Their reputation grew and by 1976, was one of the very few California wineries represented in the now-famous Paris competition.

The truly stunning building complex can be seen from the roadway, vine-covered, warm, and inviting.

The tasting room is always crowded and the staff extremely amiable. I have brought a lot of friends to Clos du Val because of their reputation for quality wines and excellent service. I’m just having difficulty getting beyond the overtly green Stags Leap qualities in the premium offerings.

2002 Ariadne – 73% Semillon and 27% Sauvignon Blanc demonstrated crisp grassy notes layered with kiwi fruit. A surprisingly creamy entry finished with a punctuated tanginess. $21.00

2003 Carneros Chardonnay – A light, non-malo prepared Chardonnay shows tropical fruits with a touch of apricot in aromas. Nine months in French oak have given the mouth feel some darker vanilla notes. $21.00

2001 Carneros Pinot Noir – Immediate earthy, bretty tones with a mineral mid-palate failed to impress. $38.00

2003 Carneros Pinot Noir – Fresh strawberry and raspberry scents present themselves immediately which follows in taste, accented with layered tones of black cherry, an earthy mid-palate, and a lively, spicy finish. $24.00

2002 Napa Valley Merlot – Intense aromas of green bell pepper predominate, with secondary dense brambleberry in nose and mouth. 6% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc give this wine a bit more earth but it still seems muddled. $25.00

2000 Stags Leap District Cabernet – Intense, burning green bell pepper which was tight and acidic. Maybe it will even out with age. $62.00

2001 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley – Barnyard and hospital aromas belie the fruity entry with a dry, mid-palate and pale, earthy finish. $28.00

2002 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – Overwhelming green bell pepper beyond which I perceived very little. $28.00

2001 Reserve Zinfandel, Stags Leap District – Classic SLD green bell pepper with a spicy entry that fails to go anywhere. $40.00

Clos du Val ~ 5330 Silverado Trail ~ Napa ~ CA ~ 94558 ~ 707-261-5225

This posting is working a bit backwards in time — my Pinot weekend was spent exploring the wineries of the Santa Cruz Mountains, meeting some amazing winemakers and winery owners, and a Pinot-tasting festival. All this culminated at an amazing dinner at Manresa restaurant in Los Gatos.

In attendance were Max, Anders, Maria, Xiaopei, Andrew, Lester, Ya Yoi, Jeff, Marcia, Ron, and your’s truly. We ate some amazing food and drank some amazing wine, as follows:

Red Beet and Olive Madeleine

1996 Chateau Woltner Chardonnay, Titus – Classic Burgundian that has aged nicely to show rich golden colors. Crisp, mineral entry with perfectly balanced oak, hints of coconut, and a whisper of citrus.

Citrus Salad in a Jasmine Tea Gelée. Tasted with the Nuits, stunning secondary notes of caraway appeared.

1997 Nuits de George, Les Saint Georges, Premier Cru, Domaine Henri Go – Earthy mushroomy with some hints of cherry and a tease of minerality. Heavier sulpher aromas provided some roughness which made the wine generally hot.

Salt Cod Fritter with Truffled Honey (sorry, forgot the picture!)

1999 Beaune Clos de la Mousse, Premier Cru, Domaine Henri Gouges – Great, opulent perfume with dark spice that is layered and even. Very heady and once upon, produces tremendous strawberry.

Strawberry Gazpacho with Almond Yogurt, Marcona Almonds, and Olive Oil

1996 Kent Rasmussen, Carneros – Dark cherry in bouquet and mouth entry. Some medicinal (sulpher) back notes and cocoa in the mid-palate. Secondary characteristics include tobacco, gelatin, and mint.

Oyster and Uni scented with Yuzu

2000 Brogan Cellars, Russian River, Lone Redwood Ranch – Intensely fruit forward with cherry and cola notes. Sharp entry with bright acids and bright spice. No finish to speak of with diminishing fruit.

Sashimi of Fluke with Olive Oil, Chives, and Dried Smoked Fish Flakes

2000 Ken Wright, Shea Vineyards, Willamette – Hot cola and cherry with spice providing back-up tones. Early maturity with an even, spicy entry. Worked very well with the Sashimi due to the smokiness in the fish’s preparation.

Torchon of Foie Gras with Asparagus spears, Asparagus puree, and Asian Pear

2001 Brick House, Willamette – Hot barnyard bouquet which gives way to cherry. Extremely tangy entry that showed all the elements of greatness but not enough follow-up. Feels well-balanced in the mouth, but no anticipated explosion. Almost Burgundian in feel.

Planked-cooked Black Cod with Crab and cured Salmon Roe

2001 Ryan, Pisoni Vineyards – Jammy with dark berry and black cherry. Extremely bright, engaging entry with levels of varied spices. Overall, a very elegant, amazing offering, despite the faintest hint of medicine on the end.

Shredded Veal Cheeks with Sunchoke Ravioli, Veal Sweetbread, and Parsnip Milk Foam

2002 Tantara, Gary’s Vineyard – Spice immediately presents itself and gives way to sweet aromas of cherry. Dark, musky entry that is fruit-forward blossoming into floral, perfume, and exotic incense.

Roast Farm Chicken with Roast Vegetables - One of the two dishes where it is shown in full presentation before being plated.

2002 Capiaux, Gary’s Vineyard – Intensely layered spices that is surprisingly clean. Dark boysenberry, black raspberry, and blackberry tones that is perfectly balanced with a long, silky finish.

1990 Gevrey Chambertin Premier Cru, Estournelles St. Jacques, Frederick Esmonin – Lester pulled this out near the end and I’m afraid it did it a disservice as we were ramping up the fruit and lessening the age of the offerings. After the opulent, jammy wines we had been tasting, I found this barnyard-stinky with reduced tar and concentrated gaminess. Dry mid-palate that was thin and full of mineral notes.

Roast Leg of Lamb with Chickpea Frittes and house-made Marguez Sausage

2002 Dehlinger, Russian River – Hot, dark Bing cherry that is sweet and round. Another with Burgundian tones of complexity with a dried orange peel finish.

2002 Longfellow, Sonoma Coast – While a tad green on initial sniff, this wine opened up to an offering that might be hard-pressed to pinpoint as Pinot. Spicy with BBQ meat and high toast oak. Lots of wood with exotic, incense aromas layered with chocolate. The tart entry blossomed with a sweet finish of spice that kept going.

NV Broadbent Port, Lot #1 – Dark, thick, sweet. Ron ordered to go with the desserts:
Honey Tuile with selection of Banana, Mango, and Litchi Gelato

Bittersweet Chocolate Souflée with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

The dinner was finished with another round of Pate de Fruits and Madeleines, however this time they were Blood Orange and Chocolate, respectively. Again, no pictures.

All-in-all, a love time was had by all!

Flora Springs winery is located on Highway 29 and is almost easy to miss for while most winery tasting rooms on the main drag have large, stand-alone facilities, Flora Springs sits nestled amongst a cluster of buildings that shares a parking lot with Calistoga Roastery (a coffee house) and Dean & Deluca. A vine-covered building might almost be lost, but is well worth looking for!

This is another one of those wineries that I have placed in a number of categories for while the physical tasting room lies in St. Helena appellation, the vineyards for the wines are located in St. Helena, Rutherford, and Oakville appellations.

The tasting room itself is large and inviting with an center-staged tasting bar-in-the-round placed dead center in the room. This makes for lots of comfortable space as well as a generally warm and inviting atmosphere. There are also a number of literary and cinematic allusions which I greatly admire; the Lavender Hill Vineyards for their Pinot was named after the Alec Guinness movie The Lavender Hill Mob, a one-sheet is located on an adjacent wall, and the Toad Hall Cellars Club references the Wind in the Willows, the owner’s wife’s favorite book (there are a number of toad references around the tasting room as well).

A note about the walls – along with movie posters, they are covered with these amazing caricatures of the family set next to photographs of the person so depicted. Also of note is a wine list far more extensive than my tasting allowed; additional wines include several Pinots, a variety of vineyard-specific Cabernets, a Sangiovese.

2002 Soliloquey – I’m not sure why this wine has a special name. It is a 100% Sauvignon Blanc and maybe it is because it comes from the Sauvignon Musque clone. It shows the classic green apple/grass combination in its bouquet that is perfumey and bright which enters the mouth with a warm, creamy sensation that finishes crisp and engaging. $18.00

2003 Barrel-Fermented Chardonnay – I was surprised to be told this Chardonnay saw no malo for there is a hint of butter and vanilla on the nose. The entry is lively with tropical fruits dominated with pineapple tones that is a touch sweet with balance and body. $22.00

2001 Pinot, Lavender Hill Vineyards – Oxidized.

2000 Poggio Del Papa – 75% Sangiovese, 16% Merlot, and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon. An interesting blend that shows the dark, plummy, jammy fruit of the Merlot with cherry aromas and some oak in the beginning. The Sangiovese brings acidity to the forefront, but in an even, pleasing fashion. $30.00

2002 Napa Valley Merlot – A lighter, softer Merlot than I have been drinking lately. Oak and fruit are balanced in the aroma, with neither overpowering the other. Some mineral tones in the mid-palate, it demonstrates a fresh, cherry finish that is easy going down. $24.00

2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – 100% Cabernet immediately shows dark, chocolate-covered cherry aromas with hints of cedar and oak. The cherry is coupled with elements of cassis in the mouth with some mineral qualities mid-way. A bit dry on the finish is a light touch. $30.00

2001 Trilogy – 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Malbec. The faintest of green bell pepper under incredibly plummy, dark fruit aromas. Balanced tannins reveals a touch of minerality in the mid-palate but blossoms in a finish that reveals cherry. $60.00

Flora Springs ~ 677 S. St. Helena Highway ~ St. Helena ~ 800-913-1118